1872.] 



ox THE BIEDS OF CELEBES. 



189 



A Celebcan example of a Ring-Plover, collected by Von Rosenberg, has been identified by 

 Professor Schlegel (I. c.) with Le petit PImier a collier de Ln<;on of Sonnerat ; and he has further 

 united it with the Lesser Ring-Plover of Europe. A Philippine Ring-Plover has also been identified 

 by Dr. von Martens (J. fiir O. 1866, p. 26) with the European bird, i. e. C. curonictis, Gm. (ex 

 Beseke, Schr. Berl. Gesellsch. nat. Freunde, vii. p. 463. no. 48, who gave no title) — the C. minor, 

 Meyer, of recent authors. In India, besides C. curomciis (=C. minor, or else C. intermedius, 

 Mcnetr., if really distinct), another small Ring-Plover occurs, the ^. viinutus {^d\\.) ap. Jerdon, 

 a species distinct from C. cnronicus, Gm. ; and the question arises whether this is not the species 

 Sonnerat figured. As is the case in India, it is not impossible that both species inhabit the 

 Philippines and also Celebes. Without inquiring into the validity of C. viinutus, Pallas, and 

 W'hether or not it indicates only C. cnronicus in young plumage, as maintained by O. Finsch 

 and Hartlaub (Orn. Ost-Afr. p. 661), these gentlemen seem to have been somewhat hasty in 

 identifying Sonnerat's bird with ^. cnronicus (Gm.). Sonnerat states that the bill and feet are 

 " noirates." Both Sonnerat and Bufi"on (Hist. Nat. viii. p. 93), who refers to Sonnerat's Philippine 

 specimen, say that the Philippine species diflfers but little from the European Little Ring-Plover. 

 But both those authors included it also among North- and South- American species, and Buffon 

 hardly recognized the specific distinctness of ^E. hiaticula. 



jE. miniftns (Pall.) ap. Jerd. is a smaller and more delicately formed species. In plumage it 

 closely resembles ^E. cnronicus, but has the head-markings better defined than those of any example 

 of that species I have as yet seen. Its chief distinction is to be foimd in the smallness of the feet 

 and shortness of the legs. A Katmandoo specimen has the legs dark reddish brown, instead of 

 yellow. It behoves naturalists in India to investigate these differences. I am inclined to believe 

 in there being two species, but have not been able to examine a sufficiency of individuals to form 

 a decided opinion. Should the Philippine smallest Ring-Plover prove identical with the European 

 C. cnronicus, Gm., both will have to take the title of duhius. Scop. 



JE. minutus (Pall.) ap. Jerd. may be identical with Charadrius pusiUns, Horsf. Trans. Linn. 

 Soc. xiii. p. 187, ex Java. 



TcMe of Dimensions. 



Tr.Z. 



p. OO. 



First primaries wanting. 



